WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1515/97 by Markus FERBER to the Council. Planned abolition of duty-free sales in the European Union on 30 June 1999
Date: 1997-05-05
Institutions: European Parliament, FERBER
Subjects: customs regulations, duty-free sale, personal effects, single market, tax collection, traveller

3. 4. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 102/3

(98/C 102/03)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1515/97

by Markus Ferber (PPE) to the Council

(5 May 1997)

Subject: Planned abolition of duty-free sales in the European Union on 30 June 1999

The entry into force of the White Paper on the common internal market in January 1993 should have led to the
abolition of duty-free sales at that time, but for economic and employment policy reasons the Council felt obliged
to  retain  duty-free  sales  until  30  June  1999  to  enable  those  concerned  to  adapt  to  the  new  conditions.  In  the
meantime it is evident that the employment situation throughout the EU has deteriorated to such an extent that
this change to the new conditions has not occurred, or only in very isolated instances. Nor is there likely to be any
radical improvement in the situation by 30 June 1999.

1. What specific action is the Council taking to counteract the adverse effects of the abolition of duty-free
sales (unemployment, losses of tax revenue)?

Is any attempt being made in the Council to extend the deadline again, not least in view of the argument

2.
that, with 15 different tax systems in the Member States, a common internal market still does not exist?

3.

Are there any Council opinions on the predicted adverse effects of the abolition of duty-free sales?

Answer

(6 August 1997)

As pointed out by the Honourable Member in his question, the Council decided when it adopted the directives
establishing  the  abolition  of  fiscal  frontiers  from  1  January  1993  to  put  an  end  to  duty-free  sales  in
intra-Community passenger traffic with  effect from 30 June 1999.

The reason for this measure lies in the incompatibility of such sales with the existence of a frontier-free internal
market.

The  circulation  between  two  Member  States  of  goods  bought  by  individuals  for  personal  use  no  longer  has
consequences from the point of view of fiscal legislation. Thus individuals may buy goods for personal use in
any Member State and bring such goods into any other Member State without need either to declare them or to
pay duty at the border. This being so, the application of duty-free allowances is no longer justified. It should be
pointed out that duty-free sales to travellers leaving the Community are to continue.

The Council(cid:146)s reason for temporarily extending duty-free to intra-Community travellers until 30 June 1999 was
to alleviate social and regional difficulties which might have resulted from their sudden abolition. The intention
was to give sufficient time to the sectors concerned (airport suthorities, airlines, ferry companies, producers of
goods  normally  sold  in  duty-free  shops  and  operators  of  the  shops)  to  prepare  for  the  disappearance  of
intra-Community duty-free sales.

(98/C 102/04)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1534/97

by Hiltrud Breyer (V) to the Commission

(5 May 1997)

Subject: Phosphate ester poisoning due to the use of Tiguvon (Fenthion) manufactured by Bayer Leverkusen

The  flea-repellant  Tiguvon  (Fenthion)  manufactured  by  Bayer  Leverkusen  can  be  administered  in  different
forms. Tiguvon 10 is intended for cats over 2 kg in weight. The use of Tiguvon 20 is recommended for dogs